Shifting Tides
by sas420
Summary: No matter what she did, she always felt the pull of the land. Somewhere free from her father's domain. It was an impossible dream, until it wasn't. Mermaid AU
1. Chapter 1

**A/N** : **Hey everyone, guess who's back ^_^ So I'll probably spread the updates over the course of three weeks (one for each week since it's supposed to be three chapters). Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

 _Somewhere far beyond the crashing waves,  
Somewhere upon the shore, where men wander,  
There is a place that calls,  
A siren song of old it chants,  
Freedom awaits you here._

She didn't know what started her fascination for the land and all its inhabitants. Maybe it was, because as vast as the ocean was, it always seemed so empty. Her father's kingdom was a sprawling structure of reefs and volcanoes, underwater mountains that looked nothing like and yet completely like the structures Above. Her father, Jude Heartfilia, King of the Underwater Pacifica, ensured she was fitted with the finest of baubles, but none could entrance her as her trinkets from Above.

Each nightfall she'd swim to the shores of the nearby village, and watch, entranced, at the light from the bonfire. It rose high as the people danced around it. Warmth radiating outwards, she wished she could reach out and touch it. There was nothing like that in her kingdom, so bright and strong. Yet so fragile. One bucket of water could vanquish it and nothing would remain but the smoky scent. Like a dragon blowing steam. But the dragons were long dead, slain into extinction by the very people she watched.

How could something so cruel, dance with such life, cheer with such raucous laughter? The merriment of these humans was something otherworldly. Her people did not laugh like this, not to mention her father, who didn't even smile.

A chill ran down her spine despite the warmth from the fire and she cleared her head of those thoughts. Humans weren't to be trusted. They could only afford to live so carefree because long ago, their ancestors wrought havoc on the Otherkind. She should not have this fascination. But even when she thought this, her heart felt as if tearing asunder.

No.

No.

No.

She had a duty to her father, and to her kingdom. She had a duty to marry and bear heirs like her mother before her. For that was all her father thought good of her. She did not have time for this...small moment of joy. That was not in her future.

 _You could swim away, far away._ A voice whispered. But what good would it do? Where amongst the seven oceans could she swim, where would she be free?

Her gaze flickered back to the land.

 _You could head for the land._

The mermaid gave an indelicate snort. Yes, and she would surely die. She was a mermaid and needed the saltwater to survive. Her history spoke of these things, mermaids swimming out to shore, never to be seen of again. It was a cautionary tale told to the inquisitive young, some families even added the gruesome deaths that awaited the wayward guppies. Her father, himself, spoke of these things to her. He said them in a very plain tone that broke no arguments, had no histrionics, it was simply, this is what would happen if she were to go that way.

 _That's not true._ The voice tried to argue and the mermaid thought back to when she was much younger and the tales her mother used to tell. About merpeople and humans intermarrying, about how a merperson could walk on land, or if the heart of the human was true, they could join them in the sea.

 _Ravings of mad woman,_ her father would tell her later _.Gibberish from a woman who claimed she was from the lost empire of Atlantis_. The latter was usually said with such venom that made her wonder, in hindsight, why her parents had gotten married in the first place.

Still, in her heart of hearts. She wished her mother's tales were true.

 _You could find out. It would be a grand adventure._

A sigh escaped her, on that final thought. An adventure.

Just then, the footsteps of humans sounded. Feet on pebbles. The mermaid swam to the nearest rock, hiding behind its craggy surface.

* * *

"We need to be careful next time, Natsu." It was a firm voice that put her in mind of her father, but it wasn't harsh.

An irritated grunt sounded.

"Don't mind him too much Erza. Everything turned out okay in the end." A soft voice sounded. Its tone pleading.

A shuffle, some movement of sorts.

The mermaid peeked out from her spot and spied a red-haired woman glaring at a man and a woman who stood before her. They both seemed to shrink beneath her gaze.

"It doesn't matter if it turned out okay, it was still reckless."

A snort sounded and the woman zeroed in on the pink haired man. He dressed back a little and said, "all I'm saying is that, you were right there with us swords blazing."

The woman cleared her throat, "Yes, well, let's just take this time to rest and recuperate."

The other woman giggled. "you just want to spend more time with Jellal, right?"

The red haired woman, Erza – she remembered them saying, turned as red her as her hair and sputtered. The pink haired man let out a boisterous laugh.

Erza looked between the smiling woman and the man and cleared her throat.

"we should head back to the festivities." She looked out at the sea, "don't spend too long out here. There's something…. Different in the air."

Lucy inhaled sharply. Surely she want referring to-

"Yes, yes, we're doing that." Laughter still danced in the younger woman's eye. She turned to the man, "Natsu, are you coming?"

"Nah, I'm gonna stay out here a little longer."

"Don't stay out too long. You know better than others what lurks in the sea."

Natsu gave a sharp grin, teeth shining white in the moonlight. "Anything that's out there I can handle."

* * *

It was true, Natsu thought as he sat on the beach. Whatever was out there posed no harm. It was curious and had a sense of wonder around it. It could be some simple, sea creature but Natsu highly doubted it. The mind seemed too complex.

Some humans, like Erza, could detect the minds of the Otherkind. But he wasn't human. He was an Elemental, or at the very least, partly. He wasn't sure, considering he'd never met his birth parents. Instead, he was raised by one of the strongest Otherkind known to humans.

He was raised by a dragon.

But people insisted they were extinct. A tiny flame flickered at his hand.

Then what were his memories, he wanted to argue, had argued and still did. Anyone who believed the old man was dead could shove it.

Igneel was one of the greatest dragons that ever lived and he'd sail the entire oceans to find him. And then he would question him. Why the hell did he leave him all by himself? What was Igneel thinking? How could he still be alive and not say anything to him?

He let out a frustrated sound and scrubbed his hand through his hair. He wouldn't dwell on this. Dwelling and brooding led to nothing but frustration and moody silences. He could be doing so much more with his time. Maybe he had spent too much time on the land. They already docked their ship, hidden beyond the rocky cliffs that surrounded the cove to the east of the village.

Magnolia was a small island, its few riches plundered by Crocus. The people here were willful and strong, and wouldn't stand for the injustice. Eventually, they'd manage to scare the Crocus officials, and reclaim their land, but Crocus was a much bigger country and managed, to steal from them legally. Hiking taxes and tithes to be paid. Naturally, Magnolia had to fight back, giving birth to Fairy Tail. They'd intercepted some of Crocus' ships carrying their bounty, and taken what was rightfully theirs.

This past haul, was enough to last them about a month, so the two weeks on land wasn't that long in comparison, but the itch was back in Natsu's bones. Magnolia was his home yes, would always be a place to return to, but he couldn't stay. He'd heard something about a dragon sighting in the Southern Isles...maybe Igneel would be there.

They also had some goods for trading from the remainder of their spoils. If he could round up, around nine others, that should be enough to operate the cog ship they owned. But then, everyone was just getting to settling down for a rare moment of peace. This was the biggest haul yet, and if they played their cards right, it would provide a starting point to bringing back thriving establishments in Magnolia.

Aaaagh! Natsu scrubbed the back of his head.

It was times like these, he wished his old man was back with him. He looked out at the horizon, then snorted. If the old dragon was with him, then he would never have been in this problem.

Letting out another frustrated sound, he shouted into the air. "Oi, Igneel! Where are ya?!"

He flopped back on the sand and closed his eyes. Automatically, his senses reached out, and picked out the sea creature, could almost see its head tilt in its curiousity. Moreover, he could feel it watching him.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** _Here's chapter two. Hope you enjoy. On another note though, chapter 3 may take a longer time to come out..School seems to be getting in the way (and it's only the third week TT_TT)_

Days after watching the humans dance so freely around the fire, Lucy found herself constantly returning to the sheer joy upon their faces, the loud laughter that she could feel from her shadowed spot behind the rocks. It was as if they looked at the world, took what it offered, and spat it out. ' _There was joy to be had in the world,_ ' they dared, ' _and you won't stop me from it._ '

She thought of the man on the beach and his...were they friends? She thought of the cause for which they fought, how they didn't back down. She thought of her mother, how her father would always disparage her mother as weak, as mad, yet she still managed to impart her stories to her daughter. How she'd always greet Lucy with a smile as she told the stories of her people in a clear and lucid voice. She thought of, how even in the last, when her mother was trapped in the spiraling towers of the Reef Palace, she never looked defeated.

With all those thoughts in mind, she found herself swimming away from her father's domain. A certain fluttering in her chest akin to that of a bird flapping its wings, readying for flight. She didn't quite know where she was headed, but she could no longer stay where she was. She could no longer force herself to be the obedient daughter. Not when it meant suffocating the light inside her. Not when freedom was in her grasp. So, in the stillness of the deep sea, when everyone slept, she stole herself away.

She swam for hours without rest, riding on the currents, to quicken her pace. She needed to be far away from her father's reach as soon as possible.

She was well on her journey to the greater unknown when she saw it, the behemoth of a ship. Multiple sails blowing in the wind. She'd seen something like this before, seen the symbols that marked the sails. She never dared to go up close, because everyone knew what happened when humans learned an Otherkind was near.

A shudder ran down her spine, tail making small ripples in the sea.

The people aboard the ship, were just as cruel as the Otherkind said. She remembered that ship. Remembered the angry shouts she heard coming from her island village. She remembered the condescending laughter that followed and the expressions on the village people's faces as they watched the ship sail from their shores.

Lucy closed her eyes as she tried to remember the different land masses she had passed. Surely, the ship wasn't headed to her island. But, even if it weren't so, could she really just watch as the people on that vessel plundered another village of its wealth?

She watched as the ship headed the direction from which she came and clenched her fists tightly. She had a decision to make.

* * *

Natsu ambled along the shoreline. His hands folded behind his head. The weeks were passing by and Natsu felt considerably lighter. An almost giddy sense of joy was running through his veins. The month was almost up and he wouldn't be landlocked anymore. He'd just spoken to Erza and Gray, and it was decided that they'd head to the southern isles. It was far away enough from Crocus' reach. Despite not regretting their actions, Erza was right. They had taken a risk when they jumped Crocus' ship this close to their base. If they sold any of the items at the usual markets, chances were high some Crocus official would make note of it. Heading to the Southern Isles would also allow Natsu to look into the rumours of the dragon sighting. It was a win-win for everyone and Natsu couldn't help the smile that formed.

This was it.

Stretching out his hands, he looked towards the sea, mind absently scanning for anything out of the ordinary. He hadn't felt the sea creature's mind for a while. It had only returned once more, a certain determination surrounding them. It would've worried him, but he was absolutely sure that whatever its decision, Magnolia had nothing to fear from it. It only had wonder and a sense of peace whenever it swam close to Magnolia's shores.

He turned, ready to head back to the village when he felt it.

Desperation, urgency. A sense of being run ragged came over him.

He swung his head to side and stared or at the ocean. Expanding his senses further, he scanned the water.

Eyes widened, he rushed out and waded out into the ocean.

 _'Beware, the Sirens boy. They'll call draw you out with their songs and drown you with their music.'_

But this was a case where Igneel was wrong. Not only was a Siren a part of their village, whatever this sea creature was, Siren or Merperson, there had never been any mystical lure out to catch him. And whoever this being was, there was never anything antagonistic about them.

Kicking his legs harder, he tried to swim faster.

Could underwater beings drown?

That shouldn't be possible right?

Damnit! He should've called for Juvia, but – the mind seemed to be flickering in and out now. Shit! Where was it? He paused, threading the water in circles. This far out into the sea he couldn't pin-point the mind. He element was stronger on land. It would be difficult to sense anything with the water surrounding them.

Shit!

"Hello?" He shouted. If one method wouldn't work, he would just have to move to Plan B. "If you can hear me, move toward the sound of my voice." He scanned the area, felt a vague flicker or something to the east. He started swimming.

* * *

Warn the villagers. Crocus' ship was coming.

The thoughts rang over in her mind, and loud clanking that only just overpowered the blood rushing through her veins. How long was she swimming for? When was the last stop she made? She couldn't think on it.

She followed the ship, hoping to find some clue as to where they were headed. It didn't take her long, drunk humans had the tendency to get very loud and clumsy. When she heard their destination, there was no question that Lucy wouldn't warn the humans.

She just had to reach them before the ship did.

How much distance had she covered? How far behind was the ship? She needed to stop thinking. Already her speed was decreasing. She just needed to focus.

Warn the villagers. Crocus' ship was coming.

A mind reached out, Otherkind, but not quite. Lucy reached out to it but floundered. She was winded, but she needed to press on. Maybe she was far enough to go above water? She broke the surface of the water, gulping in large amounts of air, only to choke on it. Her body's reaction slow in adapting from air to water.

Damnit! She must have lost a lot of energy. But she needed to warn the villagers. She had to move forward. She just needed to wait for her body to catch up. She coughed again, dormant lungs, trying to push out the water. Dark spots dotted her vision, and she tried desperately to take in more air. But, her gills were still there. Her body caught mid-change. She couldn't return underwater either, now that her lungs were working.

She tried to slow down her breathing, knew that hyperventilating would only make it worse. But the panic had set in and she was just barely staying afloat.

She couldn't go out like this. She tried to breathe. Her body taking in only whisper of air.

She needed to warn the villagers. It felt like something was cutting of her air supply. The black spots were increasing. She needed to -

A warm hand held her shoulders. She tried to speak. But just as she couldn't take in air, she could neither expel it. A low curse sounded and her shoulders were pushed back into the water. Then her neck, again supported by those warm hands. It did something to ease the panic, not fully. But just about. She could manage to rein in some of desperate grabs for air. Soon everything but her face was below water, and she could feel the water as it passed through her gills. Cool. Refreshing.

A moment passed. Then another.

She might've heard more of that same low cursing, might've heard some enquiries but the weight of the past few days finally caught up on her and a wave of exhaustion washed over her. Her body going lax. She forced her eyes open, not even knowing they closed, and looked into eyes so dark she couldn't determine their colour. Pink eyebrows furrowed, face streaked with concern.

"Crocus..." Her voice was hoarse and her throat dry. "Their ships," Another breath, another break and she tried to form the words, her body demanding its rest. "...they're coming."


	3. Chapter 3

**AN:** _Hey everyone, sorry for the delay, but life got in the way and I got busy. I know I said this would be three chapters but, there should be one more chapter after this. Hopefully that chapter won't take as long as this one... Now, on to the story!_

* * *

The world came back to her in muted voices, sounds blocked by a thick wall. The next, was something dry and scratchy against her skin. Fine lines of some strange material pressed against her skin, and... air. Light and whimsical, it fluttered against her skin. All around her was so impossibly lighter, and yet, she found her body was heavy, sinking down on whatever she laid upon. The buoyancy that was the natural state of the world around her disappeared and all she could feel was this dry, air.

Her eyes shot open. Blurry images was all she could see. Then, a moment later everything sharpened into focus.

A soft gasp escaped her as she looked around. She was most definitely _not_ underwater. How? She sat up, tail rubbing against the structure she was on… only – she looked down, quickly brushing aside the material that was draped over her.

A moment passed.

And then another.

How was this possible? Her hands hovered over the area where her tail used to be. She almost dared not to touch them. Maybe she was hallucinating. Maybe she'd spent the last of her life energy trying to warn the villagers and she was trapped in perpetual loop inside her mind. A fragment of hope before she faded away. But no, this felt too real.

A sense of reverence filled her as her fingers darted over the smooth skin of her newly formed legs. How?

 _'Our heritage was rich, little one. Once, long ago we weren't trapped by the restrictions we put on ourselves. We were free to roam the land as we did the sea for we were one of Gaia's first children.'_

Her mother's words echoed in her ears as a tight ball formed in her throat.

 _'Don't_ _spout gibberish in the child's ear Layla! It's because of you that she has these fanciful thoughts.'_

And she believed him, not then. But after her mother died, it was hard to believe the stories Layla once told her were anything more than that. She took in a shaky breath, her hand smoothed along the iridescent patterns on the side of her calves. A seafoam blue mixed and blended until it turned to a light amethyst. The colours and patterns reminiscent to that of her scales. She ran her fingers back and forth over them, acquainting herself to this new skin she now wore.

"It's strange right?" A soft voice sounded, and brought the call of the sea with it. "I had that same reaction when I first came to the land."

The woman, _Siren_ , -for no other held the voice of the tides- handed her a container with water. Suddenly, Lucy's throat felt very parched.

"You're going to need it, especially if this is your first turning." The Siren continued as she handed Lucy another glass of water. "Your body is readjusting to being on land and not having instant access to water."

After Lucy downed her second container of water, the Siren spoke again. "It mustn't have been easy for you. To travel the distance to warn us."

Lucy shifted, slightly uncomfortable with the Siren's gaze. Blue eyes scrutinized her face, for something Lucy couldn't decipher. She remembered the stories about the Sirens, distant cousins to the merpeople. They were two-tailed and it was said that they didn't have enough life-energy to sustain them. Because of this, they sang to the unsuspecting humans, feeding on their energy as they drew them to their watery kingdom. But this Siren was on land, and contrary to the stories, her skin did not hold the sickly pallor that spoke of death.

So many things were different from what she once thought.

"I had to." There wasn't any doubt in Lucy's mind that she would warn her village. She didn't, _couldn't,_ see them fall under Crocus' clutches. Not the village that spoke of life and reminded her so much of the times with her mother.

The Siren smiled in return. "I'm Ju-"

"Juvia!" A voice shouted from the background. "We're going to need your help out here!"

The Siren's body sprang into alert and it was then Lucy caught the sounds of shouting and – Was that just a canon be shot? She swung her head to the sound. Had Crocus reached the village already? "Ah, Porlyuscia, should be here shortly." She said while making her way to the exit. "There's a pitcher of water, over there," She pointed to her left where more beds lay. Next to them was a shelf with various items. "If you're thirsty, please take some. Your body will tell you how much water it needs to adjust. Porlyusica or Wendy will be here to help you with anything."

She was almost near the exit, when she said. "You gave us a much-needed head start to prepare for Crocus." She then turned around fully, facing Lucy's direction, she gave a deep bow. "Thank you."

And just like that she was out the door.

Lucy blinked twice. Then attempted to move off the bed, only to crumple to the ground. Damnit! She tried to stand, but she could barely support herself, the muscles in her legs straining. She tried again, gripping the top of the bed for support, all the weight seemed to be focused on her upper body, while her legs trembled to do such a simple motion.

"What are you doing?" Firm hands helped from behind to pull herself up and back onto the bed. "You shouldn't be on your feet."

"I need to -" She looked up and into a weathered face with dark eyes, eyes that seemed to want to hear no excuses. This must've been the head healer here.

"Tch, I suppose you were going to say something foolhardy like, you need to go out there and help them." She gave Lucy a side glance while preparing some concoction of the sort. "Magnolia seems to attract that type."

She shot another glance a Lucy, this time, it was one that froze her in her tracks. She felt like she was a guppy again, who had her face stung by a pufferfish. "You shouldn't even be thinking of getting up."

"But-"

"I don't care. You're in no position to be on your feet. If Juvia, is anyone to go by, your body needs time to adapt. Yes, it has changed form," She continued, "but all the internal workings haven't been sorted out as yet. You need time."

She could still hear the sounds of the villagers protecting their land and people against Crocus. She didn't want them to be harmed.

"That means no pushing your body further than it can go, you can cause permanent damage if you do so." She heard screaming in the background. Did it belong to the villagers or was it from Crocus' people? "Drink this." The Healer either didn't notice Lucy's distraction or didn't care. The mermaid was apt to believe in the latter.

Seeing no other choice, she took the foul-smelling drink that was shoved in front of her face, and paused to examine the viscous liquid. Absently, she wondered if the healer had planned to poison her. But no, they wouldn't have saved her, only to kill her in the end. At least, she didn't think so.

She downed the glass in one go, hoping to bypass the horrid taste. Gods, what was it with healers and their bitter mixes.

" _Everything_ , in the glass child."

Lucy shot her an incredulous look. "Well don't just sit there, drink."

Sighing scraped out the last of the mix. Her face almost certainly looked pinched. The urge to scrape her tongue and wipe away the taste was fierce in its demand. She was debating the prospect when her arms started feeling heavy.

The world around her became foggy and in the next moment, there was nothing.


End file.
